For this week, since I’m not done with my website tasks for the week, I’m going to post my second blog post first.
In 1992, after five years of hard training, and a four-hour test demonstrating everything I had learned over the years, I earned the coveted rank of 1st Degree Black Belt (Cho Dan in Korean and Shodan in Japanese) in Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan (A.K.A. Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan). With that, my teacher welcomed me to the beginning of my training.
Yes, when I reached 1st degree black belt I was considered a beginner, a true beginner. Perhaps I was an “advanced” beginner, but I was really just beginning my training. All the training and the colored belts that came before were considered to be pre-beginning material, things that needed to be learned before the real training could begin. In the West we tend to think of a black belt as an expert, but a new black belt is anything but an expert. In contrast to a new student who ties on a white belt, the black belt is very knowledgeable but she or he still has a long way to go in their learning and understanding of the art and martial arts in general.
It’s also important to understand that every independent school and every organization sets their own standards for awarding martial arts rank. My school required a minimum of four years of study and very specific techniques and principles that had to be demonstrated to be eligible to earn a black belt rank. I have also trained at a school that required a minimum of ten years of training. Then there are schools that only require two years to reach the black belt rank. On average three to four years seems the minimum time for most schools in the West but they do vary widely.
To me a black belt is someone who has learned the basics of the art they are studying and has internalized what she or he has learned. This means they can perform the basics without needing to think about them. But understand that every school or organization sets their own standards. They also set their own standards for earning higher-level black belt rank. Some require learning and demonstrating specific kata and techniques, others only require a specific amount of time in grade, some will award higher rank based only on what the teacher has done for the art (publishing book, appearing in national magazines, or otherwise being an ambassador for the art), some base ranking of quality of students produced, and some award higher rank based on how often the candidate travels to the arts home country.
In the end, it’s not the rank that matters but the skill and ability that the martial artist gains over the years. Since ability can vary widely, rank should not be a sole determinate when looking for a martial arts instructor. You want to make sure you like the instructor and like their teaching style. How you feel about the instructor , their teaching ability, and how well you work with them are better indicators than any paper rank they can display on their school walls.
Earning a black belt is certainly a worthy endeavor that has the potential of making you into a better person, helping you to achieve your life goals, and making you more secure and confident. But we should never forget that the skills learned are vastly more important than a black piece of cloth worn around ones waist. And, as the oft used and very true cliché states: it’s the journey and not the destination.
The imaged I used is from: http://www.marketingmergenetwork.com/black-belt-recruiting-dillard/
wow, I actually didn't know it varied that much from school to school. I was always under the apparently false assumption that there was a set standard for earning the different belts. I guess it does make sense though. Obviously someone who just got their black belt yesterday isn't going to be as good as someone who has been perfecting their skills since then for several years. I always wanted to learn martial arts of some sort but i never had the time nor full dedication to do it. then the good ole gov taught me some basic and semi-advanced hand to hand combat tactics. basically enough to get my ass confidently kicked by someone who is fully trained (like yourself) but also the ability to defend myself fairly well in a setting like a bar brawl (thank you Fayettenam for all the real word practice). In the end I do not enjoy fighting...it hurts to get punched in the face...I'd much rather engage and defeat my enemy/opponent at 50m-2k out.
ReplyDeleteHi Tom,
ReplyDeleteIt’s always better for civilians to practice good awareness skills and avoidance. There’s always someone more skilled out there. And besides, fighting is illegal for civilians, also. The martial arts are great for character building, building self-esteem, getting in shape, as well as, teaching good awareness skills, and giving the practitioner the self esteem to be able to walk away from a fight or to leave an area that seems dangerous. When it comes to self-protection fighting skills are a last resort that are employed when your other skills have failed (ie. not aware that the situation was going down). And then the idea is to only use what you have to, to escape and evade the attacker and then get home in one piece. Those wanting to test their fighting skills are better off entering tournaments or MMA matches.
On a side note, I trained my sister in techniques I had learned while training in Korean karate and Budo Taijutsu. Recently, while working alone in a store, she fought off an armed attacker. The attacker, a guy who was 5’10 to my sisters 4’11 frame, had originally come in looking to kill another employee. He decided to try and kill my sister since he felt she would be easy prey. He was able to get behind her and put a knife to her throat. She disarmed him, beat him up, kept him in a headlock while she called the police, and held him long enough for the police to come and arrest him. Physically she got away with only superficial defensive wounds. He was just convicted by a grand jury and is awaiting sentencing. Score one for the good guys!
Thanks for the comment. : )